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Reno's Decision: Some Strong Opinions

Once again, Attorney General Janet Reno has rebuffed calls for an independent prosecutor to probe campaign fund-raising abuses. We've received a ton of e-mail so far, tilting roughly 4-1 against Reno's decision.

Here's a sample, and we'd like to hear what you think too. Should Republicans demand an explanation under oath, as House Speaker Newt Gingrich has suggested? Send us e-mail at editor@AllPolitics.com And be sure to remember to include your name and hometown. (A lot of good, but anonymous letters end up in our desktop's virtual wastebasket.)

'Enough Evidence To Choke A Horse'

I feel that Janet Reno is wrong with this decision.

I do not feel I can trust the government to clean up its own dirty laundry, especially where the Democratic National Committee is concerned. The FBI has recently shown that it has its problems
and most of the key players in the controversy are political appointees.

There is no way that they can be trusted to do a complete and thorough investigation even though there is enough evidence to choke a horse. They could still come to the conclusion that no laws were broken.

-- Stephen M. Cook, April 15

'Pressured By The White House'

I think the Attorney General has been pressured by the
White House to forestall any independent investigation
because an unbiased interpretation of the laws in question
would probably lead to several indictments. The ... arrogance of this administration may finally be called to account.

-- Bruce Laurent, Texas, April 15

'Bored With The Petty Bickering'

Attorney General Reno is doing her job according to the law. If she
misinterprets the law, it is the responsibility of the courts to decide.
Would that the Congress do the job for which they were elected. Americans
are getting restless and bored with the petty bickering and finger pointing
by both sides. What is so bad about standing behind our duly elected
president and help, not hinder his determined effort to solve existing
problems so that the next administration can work on new ones? Restlessness and boredom quickly turn to anger, an emotion of which there is too much
already. When anger is directed to the government, it is often followed by revolution and violence in the streets.

-- C. L. Osborn, Charleston, W.V., April 14

'Swept Under The Rug Again'

It is a sad day when evidence presented and laws broken can go without any second thought. The congressional committee will be accused of politics as usual, and this will all be swept under the rug again. What does it take to wake up America? Reno has bowed to the Clinton organization, and for what reason? Maybe an investigation is in order of the Justice Department. Are they playing the political game for and with the Clinton Administration?

-- J. Clausen, Austin, Texas, April 15

'Less Accurate'

Your coverage of Attorney General Janet Reno's decision to stonewall was less accurate than the report at the www.washtimes.com Web site. In
particular, CNN's copywriter depicted only "Republican demands" while The Washington Times quite accurately noted the outrage expressed by Democrat Senators like Feingold of Wisconsin, Leahy of Vermont and Levin of Michigan. You leave the false impression that only Republicans have enough integrity to care about high crimes and misdemeanors while all Democrats are conspiring en bloc in Clinton's coverups. This is NOT a fair and accurate representation of Democrats.

-- Tom Smith, Mesa, Ariz., April 15

'Legal Mush'

Janet Reno is wrong not to appoint an independent counsel. Her claims, based on her convenient interpretation of the legal mush, that not enough evidence of any wrongdoing is as absurd as this administration's constantly changing stories and public denials.

Since the adminstration refuses to adequately explain any of these
serious and substantive accusations surrounding the executive offices,
an unbiased third-party investigation is in order to put all this to rest. I am not an expert on the letter of law regarding the appointment of an independent counsel but it seems that the intent and purpose is clearly in order. Americans need a fair assessment of what has occurred and we are not getting it to date. Why is Janet so defiant? The job is as much to find no wrongdoing as it is to find guilt. Er, uh, maybe she forgot or does not recall...

As a citizen of this country I am offended at how low the White House and now Janet Reno considers my intelligence. With the answers they provide they must surely think Americans are vastly an ignorant and uninformed population. The unfortunate thing is many of us seem to fall into their mold, unknowingly or otherwise.

-- John Deck, Herndon, Va., April 15

'Lost Most Of My Hope'

Yes, I believe that the Republicans should demand follow through on their requests for special prosecutor.

I've lost most of my hope of anyone REALLY doing much, on either side of the aisle, except giving lip service to all the self-serving antics of the Clinton Administration. Clinton and his whole crew seem to be Teflon-coated, and they believe, rightly so it seems, that they can do whatever they want to do with no consequences. This administration is a joke, at the average American's expense.

Every week since Bill Clinton took office, for his first term, and still continuing today, there has been one thing after another. Are we, the general population, suppose to believe that SOMEONE IS GOING TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND MAKE AN IMPACT? EVERYONE SEEMS TO HAVE THEIR OWN AGENDA, IF THAT AGENDA JUST HAPPENS TO DO SOME GOOD FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THEY TAKE DOUBLE THE RECOGNITION FOR IT AND GO THEIR MERRY WAY.

What happened to personal integrity and character? Or have those values become extinct like the Dodo bird? Has the majority of our public servants, from the president on down, just taken on the characteristics of that extinct species? There are still quite a few of us out here that can remember when you could be proud of our president and proud to be an American.

Thank you.

-- Marilou Rabing, Lake Oswego, Ore., April 15

'Harassing President Clinton'

I hope CNN reports the fact that Republicans have been harassing
President Clinton since he defeated President Bush. When are Republicans going to do the job they were elected to do? They are elected to do the country's business and Janet Reno is doing her job as she is supposed to. When she appointed Fiske and he found nothing, who gave them the right to appoint a Republican? How can the public have any credibility in a Republican who investigates a Democrat. Janet Reno has demonstrated
that she is impartial! Republicans will lose the majority in '98 and they will be stopped from wasting all the taxpayers' money ...

-- Aniello A. Monti, Providence, R.I., April 15

'Witch Hunt'

Janet Reno is trying to keep politics out of her job. She is doing a
good job, and Hatch and Gingrich are interfering. They certainly aren't
models of virtue. The Republicans have more campaign money than the
Democrats. Where do they get their funds? Are they that clean?
The White House is the Clintons' home, and who they entertain should be
no concern of the public. Bush had Kennebunkport and Reagan had his
ranch. They have spent plenty of the taxpayers' money. Will this witch
hunt continue forever?

-- Teddy Ruth, April 15

'Nobody Is Above The Law'

Having a Ph.D. in Public Administration, I feel that an investigation is warranted. Nobody is above the law. There are too many unanswered
questions. If no special prosecutor then House and/or Senate should
call Reno to explain. I am not a Republican and vote as independent but
enough is enough. This is scandal. I worked in Indonesia and am sure:
where there's smoke, there's FIRE.

-- Dr. Lawrence Wasserman, April 15

'The Worst President We Have Ever Had'

I believe Janet Reno is trying to protect the worst president we have
ever had. I believe Newt Gingrich should stand his ground and ask her
to face Congress and answer why she thinks it's not important to find
the truth.

Thank you.

-- Chris Atkinson, April 14

'Avoid The Appearance'

Attorney General Janet Reno should definitely appoint a special
prosecutor to delve into the charges and allegations surrounding the
White House (President, First Lady, Vice President, etc.) being involved
in illegal efforts to raise money for the Democratic National Committee.

I feel that her responsibility is not only to avoid taking advantage of her position, but even to avoid the appearance that that is happening. With that in mind, I feel that the sooner she calls for the appointment of a special prosecutor by a three-judge panel the better.

-- George Delahoussaye, Bellevue, Neb., April 14

'Hooray For Janet'

Hooray for Janet.

I am aggravated to mental nausea by the stupid political games being
played by our eminent (NOT) legislators on both sides of the aisle.

For Christ's sake, STOP this silly political posturing that is wasting taxpayers' time and taxpayers' money on irrelevant, inconsequential witch hunts.

Get on with what you were elected for, serving the country and your
country's needs.

'So Many Special Prosecutors'

As there have been so many special prosecutors, and so little
identifiable good to have come from them, Janet Reno should work to
increase the visibility and credibility of the existing Justice
Department probe into these issues. To constantly outsource
investigation from the Justice Department can only increase public
cynicism about the ability of the executive branch to regain its
integrity.

-- Ed Lyons, Arlington, Va., April 14

'Ashamed To Be A Republican'

After the breakdown of the Contract with America, the Republicans have
resorted to tackling issues of no benefit to the public. It is a shame to think that we may be spending millions dealing with this nonsense. It makes me ashamed to be a Republican.

-- Charles Y. Chen, April 14

'Crossed The Line'

I think that the attorney general has crossed the line with today's decision
not to appoint a special counsel. Maybe she had to make such a promise to
the White House to keep her job in January.

-- Christoph M. Hoffmann, West Lafayette, Ind., April 14

'Much More Than Rumors'

Allegations of illegal campaign fund-raising appear to be much more than
rumors. Members of Clinton's Administration admit such fund-raising
occurred, but dismiss it as a bipartisan behavior. Even the president and
vice-president admit to conduct which was illegal. Such admissions are
clearly admissions of wrongdoing and amount to solid probable cause
that crimes were committed. These allegations should be investigated!
If Reno, as top cop, fails to do her job (to uphold the laws of this
country), then she is guilty of either misfeasance or malfeasance. Her
conduct should be carefully scrutinized.